Where there's smoke there's fire - usually - but in the world of Game of Thrones where there's smoke, you will likely find Melisandre of Ashai, the Red Woman. We previously honored Melisandre in 'The Night is Dark and Full of Cherries' with a recipe for Cherry and Vanilla Bitters - a concoction of fresh cherries, spices, rye whiskey and a spell or two - and then set this potion to brew in a cool and dark place to work its magic. Now, it's time to revisit our potion for the next part of our dark and delicious plan: The Smoke and Mirrors cocktail. This blood red cocktail, rich with exotic spices, a smoky edge and a sweet cherry kiss is a powerful and dangerous combination - and like the Red Woman, will soon have you on your back and swooning under its spell. ​

Let's just say that Melisandre of Asshai is a woman of many, er...talents. But like any indecent hard working witch, she also keeps a cache of mysterious potions to help her with her work. We might not choose to store our apparently unlabeled potions next to our favorite bath products (love potion...demon black smoke potion...ooh, bath oil!) but to each witch her own. This week we pay tribute to the Red Woman in Melisandre Part I, in which we craft our potion.